This invention relates to an apparatus housing wherein a panel is attached to a housing without play.
An information processing apparatus such as a personal computer is conventionally available which incorporates a drive for an MD (Mini Disc: trademark) or a DVD (Digital Versatile Disk: trademark) so that it can record and/or reproduce various recording media. An information processing apparatus of the type mentioned includes an apparatus body in which a CPU (Central Processor Unit), an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), a memory, various drives and so forth are incorporated, and an information inputting apparatus such as a keyboard, an information display apparatus such as an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) panel and a sound outputting apparatus such as a speaker are connected to the apparatus body. The information processing apparatus can thus reproduce a recording medium on which contents such as videos or music are recorded and can record contents data of music, videos and so forth onto a recording medium.
In an information processing apparatus of the type described, the apparatus body is formed as a housing of a substantially rectangular shape, in which a disk cartridge drive unit for a disk cartridge wherein a magneto-optical disk is used as a recording medium, a drive unit for an IC card, a drive unit for an optical disk and so forth are incorporated. Further, the housing is connected to external apparatus such as a monitor, a keyboard and a speaker when the information processing apparatus is used, the apparatus body is placed on a table or the like of its user together with the other external apparatus.
Incidentally, an information processing apparatus of the type described preferably has an apparatus body of a minimized size in order to minimize its occupying space when it is placed on a table or the like.
Further, since the apparatus body is formed as a housing of a substantially rectangular shape, when the user operates in the neighborhood of the apparatus body, it sometimes touches with a corner portion of the apparatus body with its part of the body such as a fingertip.
Furthermore, a side panel is attached to a side face of the apparatus body by means of screws or the like. Therefore, when maintenance of the apparatus body is performed, the side panel must be disassembled and assembled, which is cumbersome.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an information processing apparatus wherein an apparatus body looks small.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an information processing apparatus which can achieve protection of a user thereof.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an information processing apparatus wherein a side panel can be disassembled and assembled readily.
In order to attain the object described above, according to the present invention, there is provided a housing for an information processing apparatus, comprising: an apparatus main body including a front panel having a projecting portion projectingly formed on a front surface side of the housing formed in an approximately rectangular shape, the front panel including a first inclined face inclined inwardly from an upper portion of the front panel to an end of the projecting portion, a second inclined face inclined inwardly from a lower portion of the front panel to the end of the projecting portion, and third and fourth inclined faces inclined inwardly from the opposite left and right side portions of the front panel to the end of the projecting portion; and a pair of side panels having side panel portions attached to the opposite left and right faces of the apparatus body, and bent portions bent from end portions of the panel portions to be engaged with the third and fourth inclined faces of the front panel, respectively; wherein engaging elements to be engaged with side panels are formed on the opposite left and right side faces of the apparatus main body; locking portions to which the bent portions of the side panels are to be locked are formed on the third and fourth inclined faces; and engaging members to be elastically engaged with the opposite left and right side faces of the apparatus main body are formed on the panel portions of the side panels, and locking members to be locked with the locking portions formed on the third and fourth inclined faces are formed on the belt portions.
In the housing for an information processing apparatus, the projecting portion is formed on the front panel and has the first and second inclined faces formed along the end portion thereof, and the third and fourth inclined face portions inclined inwardly are formed from the opposite left and right side edges of the front panel to the end portion. Further, in the housing for an apparatus, the bent portions for locking engagement with the third and fourth inclined face portions are formed at end portions of the side panels which form the side walls of the apparatus body to attach the side panels to the front panel. Accordingly, in the housing for an information processing apparatus, the front panel which forms the front wall of the apparatus body has inclined faces formed over the overall surface thereof, and also when the apparatus body is placed on a table or the like, the occupied space of the apparatus body is small.
Further, with the housing for an information processing apparatus, since the overall surface of the front panel is formed as inclined faces which are inclined toward the inner side, even when the user performs some operation in the neighborhood of the apparatus body, the possibility that the user may touch with the apparatus body with part of the body thereof such as a fingertip can be prevented.
The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which like parts or elements denoted by like reference symbols.